Curriculum vitae

After graduating in Geological Sciences from the University of Parma, in 2000, I was awarded a PhD Degree in Sedimentology by the University of Bologna with a thesis on flood-dominated fluvio-deltaic systems.
For over ten years I worked in the research group of Professor E. Mutti on issues mainly regarding sedimentology and stratigraphy of fluvio-deltaic and turbidite deposits. In 1997, I took an internship at the French Company Total, which focused on the stratigraphic and sedimentologic study of the Moenkopi and Chinle formations (Trias, Utah); in 2000 I was awarded a scholarship by British Gas for stratigraphic-sedimentologic studies of Miocene successions of the Tertiary Piedmont Basin. In 2001, I was awarded a postdoctoral research grant by the University of Parma (funded by ENI) to work with Eni-Agip and Snam-progetti staff for computer modelling of bipartite flows and relating deposits based on field data. From 2002 to 2006, I worked within the scope of an agreement entered into by and between the University of Parma and Petrobras on a project for the training of the Company’s technical staff. For this training work, I obtained a scholarship from 2004 to 2005.
Finally, since November 2005, I have been a researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Parma, where I teach Sedimentary Geology and Physical Sedimentology courses. I organized and led several field trips in the turbidite deposits of the Marnoso-arenacea Formation, which were linked to the following Italian and international meetings: Fist Geoitalia (2007), 27th IAS Meeting of Sedimentology (2009), AAPG International Conference & Exhibition (2011).
Currently, I am researching on fluvio-deltaic sedimentation dominated by hyperpycnal flows and turbidite sedimentation, focusing in particular on facies analysis and relations between tectonics and sedimentation. These topics have led to cooperation agreements and arrangements with a number of oil companies.

Research Projects

The agreements entered into in the last five years with of oil companies of which I am the supervisor are:

2011-2014 Study of physics and mathematical aspects for the description of the processes related to the transport and deposition of deep water sediment gravity flows in 3D”, funded by ENI; in collaboration with the FLOW 3D Company and the University of Texas for the laboratory experiments.

2012-2015 Cooperation agreement with PETROBRAS for a series of training sessions provided to the Company’s technical staff focused on “Stratigraphy and sedimentology of terrigenous depositional systems”.

2013 Cooperation agreement with EDISON GAS INTERNATIONAL for training to be provided to the Company’s technical staff focused on Tidal and fluvio-deltaic systems of the Tremp-Graus Basin (South Central Pyrenees).

2013 Cooperation agreement with ENI for training to be provided to the Company’s technical staff focused on Turbidite deposits of the Marnoso-arenacea Formation (Miocene, Northern Apennines).

Research themes

My research topics fall within sedimentary geology. They specifically refer to physical stratigraphy and sedimentology of terrigenous depositional systems, that is to say alluvial, both beach and tide coastal ones, deltaic, turbidite and contourite deep-sea systems. In this type of study, I have always put strong emphasis on facies analysis, especially investigating the relation between various types of facies, as well as physical processes.